doc: Start an FAQ

README.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ c-lightning is a lightweight, highly customizable and [standard compliant][std]
 	* [Sending and Receiving Payments](#sending-and-receiving-payments)
 	* [Configuration File](#configuration-file)
 * [Further Information](#further-information)
+    * [FAQ](doc/FAQ.md)
     * [Pruning](#pruning)
     * [HD wallet encryption](#hd-wallet-encryption)
 	* [Developers](#developers)

doc/FAQ.md

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+# FAQ
+
+## Table of contents
+- [General questions](#general-questions)
+- [Loss of {funds / data}](#loss)
+
+
+## General questions
+
+### I don't know where to start, help me !
+
+There is a C-lightning plugin specifically for this purpose, it's called
+[`helpme`](https://github.com/lightningd/plugins/tree/master/helpme).
+
+Assuming you have followed the [installation steps](INSTALL.md), have `lightningd`
+up and running, and `lightning-cli` in your `$PATH` you can start the plugin like so:
+
+```
+# Clone the plugins repository
+git clone https://github.com/lightningd/plugins
+# Make sure the helpme plugin is executable (git should have already handled this)
+chmod +x plugins/helpme/helpme.py
+# Install its dependencies (there is only one actually)
+pip3 install --user -r plugins/helpme/requirements.txt
+# Then just start it :)
+lightning-cli plugin start $PWD/plugins/helpme/helpme.py
+```
+
+The plugin registers a new command `helpme` which will guide you through the main
+components of C-lightning:
+
+```
+lightning-cli helpme
+```
+
+### How to get the balance of each channel ?
+
+You can use the `listfunds` command and take a ratio of `our_amount_msat` over
+`amount_msat`. Note that this doesn't account for the [channel reserve](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/02-peer-protocol.md#rationale).
+
+A better option is to use the [`summary` plugin](https://github.com/lightningd/plugins/tree/master/summary)
+which nicely displays channel balances, along with other useful channel informations.
+
+### My channel which only tries the passed in route is in state `STATE`, what does that mean ?
+
+See the [listpeers command manpage](https://lightning.readthedocs.io/lightning-listpeers.7.html#return-value).
+
+### My payment is failing / all my payments are failing, why ?
+
+There are many reasons for a payment failure. The most common one is a
+[failure](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/04-onion-routing.md#failure-messages)
+along the route from you to the payee.
+The best (and most common) solution to a route failure problem is to open more channels,
+which should increase the available routes to the recipient and lower the probability of a failure.
+
+Hint: use the [`pay`](lightning-pay.7.md) command which is will iterate through trying all possible routes,
+instead of the low-level `sendpay` command which only tries the passed in route.
+
+### How can I receive payments ?
+
+In order to receive payments you need inbound liquidity. You get inbound liquidity when
+another node opens a channel to you or by successfully completing a payment out through a channel you opened.
+
+If you need a lot of inbound liquidity, you can use a service that trustlessly swaps on-chain Bitcoin
+for Lightning channel capacity.
+There are a few online service providers that will create channels to you.
+A few of them charge fees for this service.
+Note that if you already have a channel open to them, you'll need to close it before requesting another channel.
+
+### Are there any issues if my node changes its IP address? What happens to the channels if it does?
+
+There is no risk to your channels if your IP address changes.
+However, be sure to change your announced address (or [setup a TOR hidden service](TOR.md))
+in your config so that others can establish connections at your new address !
+
+### Can I have two hosts with the same public key and different IP addresses, both online and operating at the same time?
+
+No.
+
+### Are there any issues if my node changes its IP address? What happens to the channels if it does?
+
+There is no risk to your channels if your IP address changes.
+However, be sure to change your announced address (or [setup a TOR hidden service](TOR.md))
+in your config so that others can establish connections at your new address !
+
+### Can I have two hosts with the same public key and different IP addresses, both online and operating at the same time?
+
+No.
+
+### Can I use a single `bitcoind` for multiple `lightningd` ?
+
+Yes. All `bitcoind` calls are handled by the bundled `bcli` plugin. `lightningd` does not use
+`bitcoind`'s wallet. While on the topic, `lightningd` does not require the `-txindex` option on `bitcoind`.
+
+If you use a single `bitcoind` for multiple `lightningd`'s, be sure to raise the `bitcoind`
+max RPC thread limit (`-rpcthreads`), each `lightningd` can use up to 4 threads, which is
+the default `bitcoind` max.
+
+### Can I use C-lightning on mobile ?
+
+#### Remote control
+
+[Spark-wallet](https://github.com/shesek/spark-wallet/) is the most popular remote control
+HTTP server for `lightningd`.
+**Use it [behind tor](https://github.com/shesek/spark-wallet/blob/master/doc/onion.md)**.
+
+#### `lightningd` on Android
+
+Effort has been made to get `lightningd` running on Android,
+[see issue #3484](https://github.com/ElementsProject/lightning/issues/3484). Currently unusable.
+
+### How to "backup my wallet" ?
+
+As a Bitcoin user, one may be familiar with a file or a seed (or some mnemonics) from which
+it can recover all its funds.
+
+C-lightning has an internal bitcoin wallet, which you can use to make "on-chain"
+transactions, (see [withdraw](https://lightning.readthedocs.io/lightning-withdraw.7.html).
+These on-chain funds are backed up via the HD wallet seed, stored in byte-form in `hsm_secret`.
+
+and which you can backup thanks to a seed stored in the `hsm_secret`.
+`lightningd` also stores information for funds locked in Lightning Network channels, which are stored
+in a database. This database is required for on-going channel updates as well as channel closure.
+There is no single-seed backup for funds locked in channels.
+
+While crucial for node operation, snapshot-style backups of the `lightningd` database is **discouraged**,
+as _any_ loss of state may result in permanent loss of funds.
+See the [penalty mechanism](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/05-onchain.md#revoked-transaction-close-handling)
+for more information on why any amount of state-loss results in fund loss.
+
+Real-time database replication is the recommended approach to backing up node data.
+Tools for replication are currently in active development, using the `db_write`
+[plugin hook](https://lightning.readthedocs.io/PLUGINS.html#db-write).
+
+
+## Loss
+
+### Rescanning the block chain for lost utxos
+
+There are 3 types of 'rescans' you can make:
+- `rescanblockchain`: A `bitcoind` RPC call which rescans the blockchain
+   starting at the given height. This does not have an effect on c-lightning
+   as `lightningd` tracks all block and wallet data independently.
+- `--rescan=depth`: A `lightningd` configuration flag. This flag is read at node startup
+   and tells lightningd at what depth from current blockheight to rebuild its internal state.
+   (You can specify an exact block to start scanning from, instead of depth from current height,
+   by using a negative number.)
+-  `dev-rescan-outputs`: A `lightningd` RPC call. Only available if your node has been
+   configured and built in DEVELOPER mode (i.e. `./configure --enable-developer`) This
+   will sync the state for known UTXOs in the `lightningd` wallet with `bitcoind`.
+   As it only operates on outputs already seen on chain by the `lightningd` internal
+   wallet, this will not find missing wallet funds.
+
+
+### Database corruption / channel state lost
+
+If you lose data (likely corrupted `lightningd.sqlite3`) about a channel __with `option_static_remotekey` enabled__,
+you can wait for your peer to unilateraly close the channel, then use `tools/hsmtool` with the
+`guesstoremote` command to attempt to recover your funds from the peer's published unilateral close transaction.
+
+If `option_static_remotekey` was not enabled, you're probably out of luck. The keys for your funds in your peer's
+unilateral close transaction are derived from information you lost. Fortunately, since version `0.7.3` channels
+are created with `option_static_remotekey` by default if your peer supports it.
+Which is to say that channels created after block [598000](https://blockstream.info/block/0000000000000000000dd93b8fb5c622b9c903bf6f921ef48e266f0ead7faedb)
+(short channel id starting with > 598000) have a high chance of supporting `option_static_remotekey`.
+
+You can verify it using the `features` field from the [`listpeers` command](https://lightning.readthedocs.io/lightning-listpeers.7.html)'s result.
+
+Here is an example in Python checking if [one of the `option_static_remotekey` bits](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/09-features.md) is set in the negotiated features corresponding to `0x02aaa2`:
+```python
+>>> bool(0x02aaa2 & ((1 << 12) | (1 << 13)))
+True
+```

doc/index.rst

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ c-lightning Documentation
 
    INSTALL.md
    TOR.md
+   FAQ <FAQ.md>
 
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 2